And the changes were unpopular, helping generate a backlash against much of the reform playbook for the last few decades - as well as a strong
federal role in education policy writ large.
Meanwhile, support for
the federal role in education policy has waned.
They did spend plenty of time attacking the aspects of No Child (and
the federal role in education policy) that actually focus on helping all kids succeed.
As I wrote yesterday,
the federal role in education policy, especially in advancing systemic reform, has been positive on balance.
In this paper we will explore the evolution of the state and
federal role in education policy and oversight and highlight the expanding opportunities for states to innovate.
«The law redefines
the federal role in education policy and reaffirms the importance of local governance.
But just because the current law is a political loser doesn't mean its replacement — which reduces
the federal role in education policy while eliminating the old law's unpopular performance targets for schools — is an automatic winner.
Last December, after years of delays and gridlock, Congress stepped up and passed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), a bipartisan bill outlining
the federal role in education policy going forward.